The effect of cold trap adsorbents on the gas chromatographic analysis of ambient VOCs under Peltier cooling conditions

Abstract

Original PaperThe effect of cold trap adsorbents on the gas chromatographic analysis of ambient VOCs under Peltier cooling conditionsIn this work, the relative analytical performance of the GC-based detection method was investigated with a major focus on cold trap (CT) adsorbent materials against four aromatic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (e. g., benzene, toluene, xylene, and styrene). A series of calibration experiments were hence conducted under cryofocusing conditions formed by the Peltier cooling system in a thermal desorber (TD) unit. During the course of this study, comparative calibration datasets were acquired for each of the three CT types: (i) CT (I) = Carbopack B + Carbopack C, (ii) CT (II) = Carbopack B + Carboxen 1000, and (iii) CT (III) = Tenax TA. All calibration datasets were obtained under subambient temperature ( -108C) conditions controlled by the Peltier cooling system. The reliability of the calibration data was also assessed in an ancillary experiment with the aid of the modified injection through a thermal desorber (MITD) method. The results demonstrated that the GC detection properties of different VOCs were not altered significantly between different CT applications under Peltier conditions, although relative sensitivity could be distinguished moderately depending on the CT type.

An Exploration on the Suitability of Airborne Carbonyl Compounds Analysis in relation to Differences in Instrumentation (GC-MS versus HPLC-UV) and Standard Phases (Gas versus Liquid)

“…Likewise, the GC-based experiments also yielded fairly good calibration results with an exception of AA prepared in gas phase. In our previous study, the TD-GC analysis of the lighter CCs like AA was found to suffer from limited linearity depending on the sorbent material type used in the cryofocusing stage [28, 29]. …”

“…The cold (or cryofocusing) trap in the TD system was packed with two sorbent materials of Tenax TA and Carbopack B at equivolume ratio. The selection of sorbents used in the present work was based on experiments done in our laboratory [28, 29]. The adsorption and desorption of the analytes in the TD system were carried out at 5°C (5 min) and 320°C (20 min), respectively.…”

Sequential stir bar extraction, thermal desorption and retention time locked GC–MS for determination of pesticides in water

“…After the SBSE step, the twisters were introduced into a tube for thermal desorption in an automated thermal desorber turbo Matrix 650 ATD from PerkinElmer (Shenton, CT, USA). The analytes were trapped in a cold trap at -58C, conditions controlled by the Peltier cooling system [23]. Dry air was used to drive the pneumatic system and to purge the Peltier coolers on the cold trap.…”

A Solid Trap and Thermal Desorption System with Application to a Medical Electronic Nose

“…When temperature increases, the trap capability between the sorbents and the trap objects decreases. The trapping efficiency of the adsorbent traps tends to increase exponentially with a decrease in temperature [19]. Thus, the faster the temperature increases and the higher the final temperature, the faster is the desorption speed.…”